The Strain On FX Is A Coin Toss
FX has provided some teasers of the new 13 episode series called the The Strain. The general comments read “This is creepy stuff”, and you have to wonder what’s in store for vampire fans across the globe. Unfortunately it’s impossible to judge a movie or series by the teasers they show, however, teasers have a great way of creating some interest. Ultimately the show can go two ways due to various factors and seeing as I love to exploit these factors, let’s take a look at why the show can be good or bad.
First of all, the story is based on vampires. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ve seen so many variations of vampires since Buffy (which I loved by the way) that I’m not very optimistic. It’s an idea that has been drawn out and used so many times it makes 1970’s porn look new. The only real hope I have for some authentic vampire characters is based on the talents of the writer Guillermo del Toro.
The other problem that might make it crappy is the large infestation that takes over the city. This is yet another idea that has been used several times and the show will have to be careful not to copy shows like The Walking Dead (which sucks). Apparently del Toro wants to give it a documentary feel, as if everything is real. This is a fairly simple task as he’ll be going up against shows like Honey Boo Boo which everyone knows is down right retarded.
The Strain will be focused on the books del Toro wrote and will lean towards stylings like CSI and The Wire. According to my knowledge “vampires” came from a rare disease that had to do with blood cells and ended in transfusions. These people were weak and they didn’t live very long. How they are going to scientifically explain a vampire breakout is going to be interesting.
Alas, it is a television show where everything is possible. With the help of Chuck Hogan, another talented author, it can be brilliant. If they are able to break the vicious cycle that the Twilight Saga managed to create, they might have a winner on their hands. The teasers look good and hopefully the rest of the show will continue to keep the attention of the viewers. At this point it’s still a gamble, and if del Toro is truly influenced by Stoker’s idea of Dracula, then we are in for a treat.
